


Dancing for No Reason

by CrazyBatLady



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 14:48:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyBatLady/pseuds/CrazyBatLady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rabbit witnesses a private moment in the Walter Manor gardens</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing for No Reason

It was a starry night over the Walter Manor: stars shone brightly in the velvet-blue cloudless sky. The moon, white and waxing, gave everything something of a silvery, ethereal glow. Rabbit knew that their human band members had gone to bed an hour ago, and The Jon, having tired himself earlier due to a rather eventful show involving a mallet and a bowl of spaghetti, had shut down for the night. The Spine hadn’t put in an appearance for a few hours, but that was to be expected of the most level-headed robot in the group. There was a characteristic spring in Rabbit’s step as he made his way out to the Walter garden. Despite everything that had happened to the robots during their 116-year lifetime, this garden had changed little. There were trees and flowers in abundance, all planted by Walter himself or his later heirs. In the summer, one could hear a cacophony of different birds and insects as they went about this way and that. It was a favourite past time of Rabbit’s to come outside and just listen. The Jon and The Spine would often join them, and they would simply sit under the trees and soak in the natural sounds.

 

As Rabbit thought longingly of these days, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, over on the small bridge that went over the stream running through the garden. It was The Spine. He must have stolen off here earlier when everyone else had been occupied with other matters. It was the strangest thing, though: he was dancing by himself. As if a waltz was playing, he had his hands positioned as if dancing with a woman, one hand around her waist and another grasping an imaginary hand. Rabbit watched as The Spine moved back and forth along the bridge with the moonlight making his metallic features shine bright. He twirled and bowed this invisible woman, seemingly enraptured in his fantasies. Rabbit could only lean against a tree and watch the spectacle, somewhat mesmerised by it. The only sounds of accompaniment were the frogs on the stream and the gentle rustle of leaves.

 

It was a while before The Spine realised that someone was watching him in his moment of privacy. His eyes met Rabbit’s, and the two robots simply looked at each other for a few moments. The Spine was the first to look away, an expression on his face that seemed like embarrassment, but with a definite twinge of anger. He released the imaginary woman and begun instead on an imaginary guitar, though his fingers fumbled over strings that he would normally play with ease. He turned his back on Rabbit, the moon rays lighting up the ridges on his back. Rabbit’s shoulders sagged as he turned to go back into Walter Manor, feeling as if he’d violated something. Both of the robots knew that they would never speak of this again, to each other or anyone else. The moment when Rabbit witnessed The Spine trying to find true humanity would exist only their memories, along with the moonlight, the frogs and the wind.


End file.
